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Larry Dixon talks drag racing with Autoweek

September 16, 2012

Larry Dixon, who recently inked a part-time deal with Dote Racing, talked with Autoweek about his career. Photo by NHRA

When Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon joined tuner-extraordinaire Alan Johnson on the newly-formed Al-Anabi Racing team in 2009, it seemed like a dream pairing that would be together for years and rewrite the drag racing record books. But three years later, the dynamic duo split despite winning the 2010 championship and 19 national events together.

It was a puzzling move, and only Dixon and Johnson truly know what happened, but the bottom line is Dixon had not driven a dragster since then—until this past weekend during the NHRA’s event in Charlotte, N.C. The three-time world champion with 62 national event victories just announced that he'll race three of the six playoff races with part-time Dote Racing (including Charlotte), but his primary goal of owning and driving his own race car remains at the forefront.

AW: What happened at Al-Anabi Racing?

Dixon: I don't even think about it much anymore. They've got the two drivers they want over there. Del (Worsham, former teammate) has a job tuning the Patron Funny Car, and I'm looking for a home for myself. That's the last piece of the puzzle.

We had a long-term agreement and it came down to this is the road they want to go down and this is the road I want to go down. The timing wasn't great for me from the standpoint getting a quality ride for 2012. It all took place two weeks before winter testing. By then every team out there already had everything in place and all the sponsor dollars were spoken for.

AW: What have you done since then?

Dixon: I spent the first three or four months putting a business model together for establishing my own team. I also put a group together that can help me with the business side of things. You need championship-caliber crewmen to win races and you need the same level of expertise to make the business model work. We have to be able to go out and do a great job for whoever we align ourselves with.

We've chosen to search for funding outside the conventional sponsors that have supported drag racing over the years. Our sport has so much to offer. We have more than 2 million fans attending the races and company's have direct access to these consumers. There's a massive Manufacturer's Midway where you can show your products. There's VIP space in the pits right next to the race cars where you can entertain clients and do business. The drivers are right there interacting with the fans and the clients. It's unlike any other sport.

AW: Then why isn't there more non-endemic sponsors?

Dixon: The biggest issue facing us is educating the average business executive out there on our sport and getting them to come and experience it. When you do that, they always come away impressed. It's never what they thought it would be.

The Coca-Cola Company just renewed and extended their title sponsorship of the series through 2017. That's strong. The U.S. Army dropped NASCAR but they're staying in drag racing. These companies have found value out here. Our job is to show everyone else how it can work for them, and I believe we can do that.

AW: Why will you be successful in finding sponsorship dollars?

Dixon: Because I've realized over the years that what you do on the race track -- the wins and the championships, putting stickers on the car -- just needs to be icing on the cake. You have to build a program that makes business sense for the sponsor. It has to be so strong that even if the person you're dealing with could care less about drag racing, they can still see big-time value in the program. There is no set way of doing this. You have to adapt to each client and each need they may have.

AW: In there ever a time when you think you might not race again, at least in a full-time capacity?

Dixon: No. I love racing too much. When you see a guy like John Force out there in his 60s and he's not only driving but he's winning races and winning championships…that tells me I have a home. This deal with Dote Racing will be fun. I grew up with (crew chief Doug) Kuch and they have a good car. It'll be fun to mix it up with the guys again, but that group has their long-term plans and I have mine.